1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to motor vehicle safety devices. More particularly, it relates to a vehicle seat including a side impact airbag unit.
2. Description of Related Art
Vehicle seats with side airbag units are known to protect vehicle occupants in case of a side collision. In these, the side airbag unit, mainly consisting of an airbag and a gas generator, is located in the area of the side surface of a backrest of the vehicle seat. The airbag inflates between the occupant and an inner structure of the vehicle in case of need. The gas generator is attached to the frame of the vehicle seat by means of a retaining element, whereby the longitudinal axis of the gas generator, which is generally of cylindrical form, extends substantially vertically and parallel to the side surface of the seat. Within this arrangement, the gas generator is basically completely surrounded by the airbag, which allows rapid filling of the airbag. Although this arrangement of the airbag is relatively simple, it has the disadvantage that additional space is needed outside the frame of the seat, which is often not available, particularly in the case of sports cars, roadsters and cabriolets.
One known solution is to provide a vehicle seat in which a gas generator is accommodated inside a hollow tube of the frame of the seat. However, while such a solution is very space-saving, it is also very complicated.
The object of the present invention is to improve a vehicle seat unit in such a way that the side airbag unit only needs a little additional space and nevertheless can be easily mounted on the vehicle seat.